The majority of us want to be the person who has a healthy lifestyle, reads books, exercises, goes for walks, etc, etc. But the real question is how do we become that person? What do we need to do? The answer, change your habits. How do we build habits? That's what I'm going to answer today.
1. Start Small
You can't expect to start with a huge change. Small things make a big difference. Do you blame it on lack of willpower and motivation? Don't. "Research shows that willpower is like a muscle. It gets fatigued as you use it throughout the day. Another way to think of this is that your motivation ebbs and flows. It rises and falls" (James Clear). I love the way James Clear worded that. It's so true! So the question is, how do we make it easier? Start simple. Instead of reading for 1hr read for 15mins. Instead of going on a 30-minute walk go for a 10-min walk. Once the easy is too easy it's time to make it a little more challenging until you feel content with it.
2. Schedule it in
Scheduling a time to do the habit will allow you to keep up with it. If you wake up in the morning and say "I'm going to go for a walk today!" And later you're in bed saying, "I never went for a walk!" That's because you didn't plan. Next time you are deciding to walk more schedule it like this: For example, Walk at 11:00 am before lunch.
When you mess up, get back on track ASAP.
"You shouldn’t expect to fail, but you should plan for failure" (James Clear).
Questions to think about: What are some obstacles that could get in the way of your habit? How can you work around it? How can you bounce back quickly? Focus on consistency, not perfection, you can do this!
3. The 4 stages of Habits
I read an article from James Clear's book Atomic Habits in which he discusses the 4-Stages of Habits. James Clear states, "This four-step pattern is the backbone of every habit, and your brain runs through these steps in the same order each time." These 4 stages are cue, craving, response, reward. Here is an image he shows:
The 1st law (Cue) Make it obvious.
The 2nd law (Craving) Make it attractive.
The 3rd law (Response) Make it easy.
The 4th law (Reward) Make it satisfying.
Comment your questions!
I would love to help you one-on-one. What is a habit you have that you want to master? Send me an email and I will help you! The only requirement is that you subscribe.
Get building those habits! remember to start small, plan, and follow the 4 stages.
Would you like a free habit tracker PDF? comment "yes".
